Last month, Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata teased a version of his game for the Nintendo Switch. But when I asked him about that port to Nintendo’s hot new console, he wanted me to share a different message: He can’t actually find one.
Screenshot from the mobile version of Final Fantasy 15, Pocket Edition, which might make a good fit on Nintendo Switch
“I want you to make the headline, ‘Tabata has not been able to purchase the Switch,’” he told me in Seattle last weekend, speaking through a translator.
Tabata had mentioned, before we even started chatting, that someone from Nintendo called him up after his Switch teases at Gamescom. Although he kept quiet about what Nintendo actually said — “I can’t say,” he laughed — Tabata did try to walk back his comments that he and his team were looking to bring Final Fantasy 15 to “a console that sounds like Twitch“.
“It was just kind of a joke response,” said Tabata. “That said, we aren’t dismissing the hardware in any way. We believe it’s a great platform, and we’re open to looking for opportunities. And if the opportunity presents itself, and there’s something we can do on that given platform, we’d like to do it.”
Sadly, Tabata hasn’t had the time to wait in one of Japan’s hellish lines to get his hands on a Switch, which he really wanted Kotaku readers to know. He’s been checking sites such as Amazon frequently, but every time he looks, Nintendo’s Switch is sold out. “I’ve already purchased all this software,” he said. “I have Zelda, Mario Kart and Splatoon. I just haven’t been able to purchase the hardware.”
But wait a minute, I said. He’d just said that Nintendo gave him a call. Why not ask his contacts over there to hook him up?
“Because then I’d owe them, and I’ll have to support Nintendo,” Tabata said, laughing. “I want to have a neutral standing.”
Tabata quickly added that this was a joke — presumably to avoid more angry phone calls — but he did really want Kotaku readers to know even he can’t get his hands on a Switch. “The headline I’m very serious about,” he said. “The joke part is the fact that I can’t request it from Nintendo.”
“If we make that the headline,” I said, “maybe someone will feel bad and send you one.”
“I’ll do my best until I can purchase it,” Tabata said. “Keep on trying.”
Comments
7 responses to “Final Fantasy 15’s Director Wants You To Know He Can’t Find A Switch”
I’d send him mine if he promised to put this entire FF15 thing to bed and not release any more games.
But that’s not the Square way, they either get a hit and milk it or put themselves in such a bad position that they’ve got no choice but to milk it to recoup losses. They put a decade into FF15 and they’ll be damned if they ain’t going to get their money’s worth.
You mean you’re not excited at the possibility of a Cooking Mama spinoff with Ignis? Because I assume that’s what’s next after the goddamn fishing game they’re doing…
What the hell is going on here? Tabata can’t get a Nintendo Switch port for Final Fantasy XV because the Nintendo Switch is sold out on Amazon. You know what I don’t think he’ll be making anymore Final Fantasy games ever.
Still can’t believe the switch is so sought after. I mean Zelda looks great but are Nintendo fans so rabid they’ll buy a console for one game?
Yeah, no. I am of course a Nintendo apologist, having loved them from a young age ( although I never got a wii u ). But even then, I’d like to think I could recognize the fact that there a number of good games out for it already. I’m not going to list them but it’s not just Zelda. These comments are becoming so tired.
Har. Har. Har. There are sellers in Akihabara that have stock. Overpriced but they are available to buy.
I went to mandrake a few months back and got a 2nd hand one for under msrp, second hand sure but its such a new system that it may as well be a first hand console. Just sounds like this guy doesn’t want to actually get one.
Story of my life. Everyone I know are all bottoms.